Leafs Honour 67 winners

[MarkII]

While it's nice to honour the guys who last won the cup. isn't it odd to acknowledge the fact you haven't won the BIG TROPHY in 40 years?

It's sort of an odd situation. Do you ignore the anniversary?

Kind of a no win situation. Sadly much like the leafs in the last 40 years of mis-managenment on non commital ownership.

I always wondered about one thing. All those guys they traded off the leafs team went on to greatness in many cases. How good could the team have been if key members were not traded off in the Ballard era.

Food for discussion..not much else..won't change anything now..but interesting to wonder about.

M2

 

[Questor]

The last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup, the team was known as the "Over-the-Hill Gang". It was the last hoorah for many of them. The core of the team was made up of Johnny Bower (age 42), Allan Stanley (age 41), Red Kelly (age 39) Terry Shawchuk (age 37),Tim Horton (age 37), George Armstrong (age 36), and Marcel Pronovost (age 36). The team wasn't that good and had a mediocre regular season, finishing third behind Chicago and Montreal (in a 6 team league). But they got lucky (or inspired) and knocked off Chicago in the semi-finals, then beat Montreal in 6 games. Then, as it often is today, hot goaltending was a key component in the Leaf victory. Leafs lost many of their best players to retirement and the expansion draft that took place the following year, and were forced into rebuilding mode, which they continue to do to this day. Mahovolich was traded the following year to Detroit, with Horton going to New York and Pappin to Chicago the year after that. The '67 Leaf Stanley Cup victory happened in the middle of the Montreal dynasty that won the Cup in '65, 66, '68, '69 - 4 times in 5 years.
http://www.execulink.com/~c67leafs/
http://www.canada.com/topics/sports...=566a8057-d45b-4294-b221-0179b76e3b64&k=58815

 

[kfm]

Hey MarkII,

You hit the nail on the head..how pathetic, haven't celebrated anything in 40 years.
I didn't watch the ceremony, Andy Frost's voice is F'N irritating, I really wish they would get rid of him.

 

[K Douglas]

I think its great they were honoured. You have to be proud of a team like that who was a considerable underdog in both the semis and the finals. Great to see Keon back love the fur coat dude!

 

[Pargolfer]

Jim Pappin-great example of. the Leafs...

trading away an excellent hockey player.He lead the 67 Leafs in playoff scoring and then was "given away" by Punch Imlach for future Hall of Famer Pierre Pilote, who played one season for the Leafs.Pappin went on to average 34 goals a season in seven years with Chicago.